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Strategic Plan: Foundational Commitments

Across the strategic focus areas and in all that we do, the University will continue to advance the core values and priorities of inclusion and internationalization. Domestic and global diversity are essential to excellence across all parts of our mission.

The university has committed to make sustainability a central priority of all aspects of the enterprise, from the academic mission to daily operations. Our goal is to lead change and to be a meaningful resource to all Iowans in the promotion of sustainability. We will build on successes to date that include highly ranked sustainability-related academic focus areas, the establishment of an Office of Sustainability, an undergraduate certificate in sustainability and a sustainability-focused living-learning community, an interdisciplinary "cluster hire" focused on water sustainability (the Water Sustainability Initiative), new buildings designed to LEED standards, significant cost savings through energy audits, leadership in the development of renewable energy systems, and many others.

Given the fiscal context, it is more important than ever that we operate in the most collaborative, enterprising, and innovative ways possible. We have to collaborate and share resources to be more efficient while maintaining quality. We have to be more entrepreneurial and maximize and diversify revenue streams. And we have to implement innovative and better ways to carry out our various missions to contain costs and enhance quality.

The goal of the strategic plan is not to do more with less; it is to move forward by doing things differently. We will concentrate new and reallocated resources on the areas of strategic focus where we can and will achieve substantial enhancements in excellence over the next five years, while protecting central programs and continuing to carry out all of our missions with commitment to the highest quality.